New SF-58D Flash

[kully]

Yippee! Head movements for bounce.

No price announced yet though...

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0902/09021711leicasf58flash.asp

 

[noimmunity]

...and no specs, either. From the description it sounds more like a flash that is designed for the S2 rather than the M series. I expect it to be a fairly large Metz-style flash.
Would have liked to see something like the SF-24, but revamped, taking AA (no. 4) batteries with tilt/swivel etc...

 

[telenous]

Cool. Externally it looks very much like Metz TTL 58. From a quick look, some of the specs listed in the dpreview press release are the same between the two, too. The Metz flash costs around £300.

 

[jaapv]

520 GBP...😱

 

[kully]

520 GBP...😱

Wha?!? Where did you see that price?

 

[Andrew Sowerby]

520 GBP...😱

They're not giving them away, are they? 😀

Kully, if you're looking for a less expensive work around, you could get a Nikon synch cable and an SF20 or SF24. Holding the flash while focusing is annoying though.

 

[Andrius J.]

It is a rebranded Metz 58 AF-1 digital flash 🙂

 

[Richard Marks]

I wonder if it will still have the nasty pre flash on TTL mode that the SF24 dishes out. If so its not going to do much for me. I use the SF24 on non TTL auto mode, or a 54MZ3 non TTL and am quite OK.

Richard

 

[jaapv]

It must have, Richard. It is an essential part of the M-TTL system

 

[Andrew Sowerby]

What's the pre-flash you guys are talking about? There's no pre-flash when I use my M6 TTL and SF20 combo.

 

[Richard Marks]

What's the pre-flash you guys are talking about? There's no pre-flash when I use my M6 TTL and SF20 combo.

I dont expect that there is. Its actually something new and rather irritating created for our beloved M8. The SF20 does not work in TTL with an M8 incidentally. Using the SF24 the pre flash is nearly as bright as the main one and there is just enough of a delay to make a lot of subjects blink.
Id the new 58 has this feature its not going to be too useful to me.

Richard

 

[jaapv]

What's the pre-flash you guys are talking about? There's no pre-flash when I use my M6 TTL and SF20 combo.

The M6 TTL reads the flash intensity off the film. The sensor like on the M8 is too shiny for that. So it has to do a pre-flash (sometimes two!) to read the exposure off the shutter, and then when the exposure is made it will use that value for the flash.

 

[Andrew Sowerby]

The M6 TTL reads the flash intensity off the film. The sensor like on the M8 is too shiny for that. So it has to do a pre-flash (sometimes two!) to read the exposure off the shutter, and then when the exposure is made it will use that value for the flash.

Very interesting. I didn't know that.

 

[rxmd]

With a system such as that I don't see the advantage vs. using a good old automatic flash.

TTL has advantages if you can read brightness information during the exposure (close the shutter as soon as enough light has accumulated), if you use more than one flashgun, if you use remote flash, or if you use extreme tele lenses. The first is impossible on the M8, and the latter three are not particularly interesting with a rangefinder anyway.

 

[Richard Marks]

It must have, Richard. It is an essential part of the M-TTL system

Do you think a software update could fix this? I know my old Nikon SB28 used to emit a pre flash which was so tiny you could not actually see it. As things stand i do not find the TTL useable on the M8. If the S2 has the same pre flash system, Im going to cancel my order 😀.

Best wishes

Richard

 

[dof]

Do you think a software update could fix this? I know my old Nikon SB28 used to emit a pre flash which was so tiny you could not actually see it. As things stand i do not find the TTL useable on the M8. If the S2 has the same pre flash system, Im going to cancel my order 😀.

Best wishes

Richard

As I understand it, this TTL behavior is endemic to all digital cameras sue to the unpredictability of light reflected from the sensor. I find it unusable - in dark environments, the poor SF24-D will often expend too much power on the pre-flash to supply the main flash with enough output to properly expose the subject.

I expect the new flash will rectify this. However I'd hoped for something with a form factor closer to that of the SF20/24-D.

 

[Richard Marks]

As I understand it, this TTL behavior is endemic to all digital cameras sue to the unpredictability of light reflected from the sensor. I find it unusable - in dark environments, the poor SF24-D will often expend too much power on the pre-flash to supply the main flash with enough output to properly expose the subject.

I expect the new flash will rectify this. However I'd hoped for something with a form factor closer to that of the SF20/24-D.

I have never known a TTL system as crude as this. Presumably the fact that the camera has no apperture information makes things more difficult. I am very interested to see if the 58 model does any better. I am not confident. To be honest for me I do not use flash that much and cope OK without TTL. It would however make fill flash situations a bit easier as if I am rushed I occasionally forget to change the gun when changing the apperture.

Richard